The Pull List | March 21, 2018

With stories from the comics becoming an ever more dominant force in pop culture, it’s important to remember their origins. Comic books have become the laboratories of our movies, tv shows, and video games. So every week, we pick out our three favorite comic books of the week. It’s our Pull List, and it’s the thing we look forward to most each week.

This week we picked a new issue from DC Comics, Marvel, and Image. Two issues are the start of new series, while one is a continuation of a well-known story.

DC Comics

BATMAN #43

Tom King, Mikel Janin, Hugo Petris

Every issue of Tom King’s run on Batman has been tied together by a common thread. Whether Bruce has been training superpowered beings, navigating a war between supervillains, or planning his wedding, King is all about delivering unexpected ends to great stories. Now, almost two years after King took over the book, every issue and story arch he writes for the most well-worn hero feels fresh and exciting. Which is great for fans! It means that even in the midst of multiple Batman miniseries, King’s flagship book rises above all the rest.

In his latest story arc, ‘Everyone Loves Ivy’ Poison Ivy takes over the minds of every man, woman, and child on the planet. The only two people who manage to evade her psychic hold are Batman and his fiancé Catwoman. They managed to evade her for a little while, but disappearing is hard when 7.6 billion people are looking for you. There’s obviously no muscling out of this predicament. The solution to the problem, which Bruce thinks up and King writes perfectly, manages to embrace one of the most interesting relationships in DC Comics and is a grace note that ends this story arch perfectly. Be sure to pick up this issue and stay tuned for the Bat/Cat wedding just around the corner.

Marvel Comics

THE MIGHTY THOR #705

Jason Aaron & Russell Dauterman

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if she be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” With the addition of just one letter, Marvel opened up the possibility of its universe to entirely unexpected new realms. The latest incarnation of The Mighty Thor, who readers eventually learned was secretly Jane Foster, was celebrated as a massive step forward for comic book inclusion. And while a particular subset of readers lamented the change, Jane Foster’s tenure as the titular hero in The Mighty Thor has been a wild ride granting new life and new perspective to one of the most celebrated heroes in Marvel Comics.

The Mighty Thor #705 exactly has heartbreaking as we expected it to be. In the previous issue, we could see that the writing was on the wall for Jane Foster. By the end of this issue, Jane’s tenure as Thor has concluded. But in the face of not one but two unbeatable foes, Jane goes out like a hero. Readers have known that Jane’s cancer would kill her if she changed back from her immortal form. But when she sees few other ways out in her battle against the Magog, Jane hurls Mijorner into the Sun. The Magog is defeated, but it means that Jane will also die. She proves that she is, and always has been, indeed worthy.

Marvel Comics

Weapon H #1

Greg Pak, Cory Smith

Typically in The Pull List, we try and pick one DC comics, one Marvel comic, and one independent comics. But Weapon H from Marvel Comics is why fans read comics. It’s the most comic book comic on shelves right now. Weapon H continues the story of Clayton a.k.a. Hulkverine. And if you consider yourself a comic book fan, then you are going to want to check out what happens when one person gains the powers of both Logan and Bruce Banner.

There was a time when Hulk comics were, at best, dull. But Greg Pak has been on the Hulk beat for years now. In that time, he’s perfected the formula for what makes a great Hulk story. In this breakout issue for Hulkverine, he fights Wendigo, which is perfect. Back in the issue of The Incredible Hulk that introduced the character Wolverine, the two heroes fight each other before teaming up to take down the Wendigo. It’s artistically perfect to have his amalgam of the two characters fight him again here. This is a comic that knows exactly what it is, and savors every panel. It’s a ton of fun and worth picking up.

Those are our three favorite comics from this week! What do you think? Which books were on the top of your stack this week? Let us know in the comments, or on Twitter @NerdItHereFirst. And don’t forget to follow us so you won’t miss a single one of our comic book recommendations.

Most Read

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is another strong entry in the growing MonsterVerse. Large-scale action and quirky characters combine for a fun, if not great, summer popcorn flick. The movie delivers thrills and sets the stage for another epic smackdown next year.